Varsity Boys’ Soccer Falls to Mavericks 2-0
Eduardo Rodriguez ’19 defends the ball from an opposing player before passing to a teammate.
Caden Popps ’18 looks in the direction of the ball before attempting to receive a pass from a fellow Warrior.
The Warriors come together before the start of the first half.
Nikola Djordjevic ’21 runs past a Maverick player towards the ball.
Philip Richardson ’20 quickly moves in to prevent a McNeil player from gaining possession of the ball.
Hilton Pineda ’18 gets ready to kick the ball.
Evan Moreno ’18 fights to stay ahead of a Mavericks defender to get to the ball.
Skylar Cupit ’18 prepares to throw the ball back into the game.
On Friday, March 2, the varsity boys’ soccer team fought against the McNeil Mavericks at the Warrior Bowl, ending the game with a final score of 2-0. While the outcome was not what the team had hoped for, the boys fought hard until the very end, finding themselves standing alone in third place in district by the end of the night.
Starting off the game, the Warriors used their exceptional teamwork and drive to fight against their rivals. Unfortunately, about 30 minutes into the first half, the Mavericks pushed two extra players into the attack and forced a great combination play, beating the Warrior center backs in spite of their great coverage, eventually leading to the Mavericks to score. Additionally, Lalo Rodriguez ‘19 and West Bevins ‘20 made good use of their skill and determination to work together to get the ball across the field. In the final seconds of the first half, Jack Elliot ‘19 made a striding run to stop a great shot attempt from the Mavericks’ leading goal scorer.
“Looking back, the team could’ve gone in with more desire and energy,” Elliot said. “But I think as a team we did well to stay organized in the back.”
Starting off the second half of the game with the score still at 1-0 in favor of the Mavericks, Avi Kacker ‘19 demonstrated his defensive discipline as he man-marked the Mavericks’ key striker and all of the space around him. While man-marking, Avi intercepted nearly every pass and kept not only their striker at bay, but also the whole Maverick attack. As the game came to an end, the Mavericks unfortunately scored in the last nine seconds of the game, leaving the final score 2-0.
“The best part of the game for me was constantly going against some of the best forwards in our district,” Kacker said. “The level of competition not only was fun, but made me a better play as well.”
The boys will use this defeat to prepare and motivate them even more at their next game. Join them at Stony Point High School when they face off the Tigers on Tuesday, March 7 at 7:45 p.m.. Go Wood.
